The present invention relates to luggage, and more particularly to small luggage cases, such as business cases, computer cases, backpacks and the like which may be provided with shoulder straps or hand grips for carrying, or with wheels for rolling on a surface and an extendable handle for pulling by a user.
In the past, most items of luggage, such as those used for overnight travel, were formed of stiff or rigid material as rigid enclosures. Similarly, items of luggage used to carry papers, personal items and other materials to be kept close at hand, particularly when using public transportation, such as airplane or trains, typically referred to as briefcases, where also either made of stiff or rigid material as rigid enclosures, or of rather stiff material such as leather with some flexible portions to permit expansion and contraction. More recently, both types of luggage mentioned above have been formed as relatively unstructured enclosures made of non-rigid natural or man-made materials such as leather, canvas or nylon. The non-rigid material forming the enclosure is assembled to provide luggage of a particular shape. In some cases, a rigid framework is provided to maintain the desired shape of the luggage.
A further development in luggage industry has been the use of wheeled luggage for checked baggage, carry-on baggage and some business cases. For the purposes of this discussion, the term xe2x80x9cbusiness casexe2x80x9d may include cases designed to hold and transport portable computers. Luggage of this type typically includes wheels and an extendable handle, so that the user can pull the case along on its wheels, without having to bear its full weight. Additional items may be supported by the handle assembly or attached to the case itself, to ease the burden of the user when moving through airport concourses or along city sidewalks. Examples of such additional items are garment bags and other business cases.
The most commonly available luggage of this type has wheels and extendable handle permanently attached to the luggage. When luggage of this type is not being transported on its wheels, the extendable is retracted. When this arrangement is included as part of the design of a business case, the bulk and weight of the case, with its integrated wheel and handle assembly, is are often cumbersome and uncomfortable to carry.
For instance, the same case may be used during business trips and while commuting between home and office. On a business trip the integrated handle and wheel assembly is a blessing; on a commuter train, the bulk and weight of the assembly may be a curse. When such a business case or backpack is carried by shoulder straps or handles, the typically unpadded structure of the retracted handle and wheel assembly can irritate the user""s rib cage.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a luggage system consisting of a case and a wheel and handle assembly which may be readily secured to the case when needed and removed when not needed. Further, it would be desirable to provide the readily removable wheel and handle assembly and the case with complementary devices for securing them to each other. It would be further desirable that the removable wheel and handle assembly and the case be of complementary design, so as to be of pleasing appearance when secured to each other. Finally, it would be desirable that the wheel and handle assembly provide extra strength to the case, particularly when it is fully packed and heavy.
It is an object of this invention to provide a luggage system which includes a case provided with straps or handles for carrying the case and a wheel and extendable handle assembly for dragging the case. It is a further object of this invention to provide a wheel and extendable handle assembly which may be removably attached to the case.
It is another object of this invention to provide a case with a removable wheel and extendable handle assembly which are attached to each other by complementary fasteners provided on the case and the removable wheel and extendable handle assembly.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a removable wheel and extendable handle assembly which provides additional protection and rigidity to the case when attached to the case for dragging of the case.
A case with removable wheel and extendable handle assembly in accordance with this invention includes a soft sided case having one or more main storage volumes made accessible by openings which may be held closed by fastening devices. The case may also have additional storage areas for as pockets on the sides of the walls of the main storage areas. Handles are secured to the walls of the main storage area for a person to grasp while carrying the case. In of the preferred embodiments of this invention, straps are secured to the walls of the main storage area which may be used to carry to case as a back pack. A removable wheel and extendable handle assembly in accordance with this invention includes a partial housing having a base, sides and a back. A pair of wheels are mounted on the partial housing adjacent the corners formed by the base, sides and back. The back is provided with an arrangement for telescopically receiving an extendable handle assembly. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the back of the partial housing is of essentially the same height as the case, the base is of essentially the same width and depth as the case, and the sides are of reduced height as compared to the back. Complimentary fastening devices are provided on the removable wheel and extendable handle assembly and on the case, the removable secure the assembly to the case. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the complimentary fastening devices are in the form of zippers, similar to those used to provide access to the main storage volume and the auxiliary storage volumes. More particularly, one portion of a zipper is secured around the edge of the back of the partial housing, while the other portion of the zipper is provided on the case, such that when the case is place in the partial housing, the zipper portions may be secured to each other in the usual manner. Similarly, one portion of a zipper may be provided on the edge of the bottom opposite the back, and the other portion on the case, such that when the case is placed in the partial housing, the zipper portions may be secured to each other in the usual manner.